Part of that solution involves using East Tennessee State’s “Mini-Dome” which now serves as a practice facility. That’s the route Mandell is willing to go make something work in having a college football season, so like many proposals you can see how this would be far-fetched from the get-go. Regardless, Mandell proposed the following to Notre Dame this 2020, er, check that, first of two 2021 seasons, which would start with all of college football on New Year’s Day:
When pressed about his team lacking talent at offensive tackle for a number of years, former Chicago Bears general manager Jerry Angelo once snapped back at the media and asked “How ’bout a few solutions!?” as he’d grown sick of questions.
Well, in regards to the 2020 College Football season that could be anything from cancelled entirely, to postponed a month or six weeks, or even starting on time in front of no fans. What do you do about that problem? You start trying to find a solution, something The Athletic did Tuesday morning.
The well-respected Stewart Mandell breaks down a ton of the issues including timing of games, the NFL Draft and perhaps most interesting in all of it, usable local venues to keep games from being played in extreme conditions.
Part of that solution involves using East Tennessee State’s “Mini-Dome” which now serves as a practice facility. That’s the route Mandell is willing to go make something work in having a college football season, so like many proposals you can see how this would be far-fetched from the get-go. Regardless, Mandell proposed the following to Notre Dame this 2020, er, check that, first of two 2021 seasons, which would start with all of college football on New Year’s Day:
The Athletic’s Theoretical Notre Dame Winter Schedule:
Jan. 1 vs. Navy (Detroit, Ford Field)
Jan. 9 vs. Wisconsin (Milwaukee, Miller Park)
Jan. 16 vs. Wake Forest (Eastern Tennessee State, Mini-Dome)
Jan. 23 vs. Pitt (Detroit, Ford Field)
Jan. 30 vs. Stanford (Indianapolis, Lucas Oil Stadium)
Feb. 6 vs. Duke (Indianapolis, Lucas Oil Stadium)
Feb. 13 vs. Clemson (Notre Dame Stadium)
Feb. 20 at Georgia Tech (at GT or Mercedes Benz Stadium)
Feb. 27 vs. Louisville (Notre Dame Stadium)
March 13 at USC (The Coliseum)
The season gets cut to ten instead of 12 games with the elimination of Arkansas and Western Michigan from the schedule. It’s crazy to look at but hey, props to Mandell for at least offering a solution, or an attempt at one anyway to the problem. He closes by saying himself: “let this exercise be a glimmer of hope for a creative and entertaining alternative” so no shots here whatsoever, just a few questions.
-Detroit and Indianapolis essentially turn into Notre Dame’s home field for 40% of their games. Makes logistical sense but only makes me more upset at the city of Chicago for not putting a dome on the disaster that is Soldier Field but we can leave that for another day.
-Even if social distancing or groups of only a few thousand people are allowed to start, why do games have to be played indoors to start? I know it’s great to think optimistically about weather changing for the better but February 13 in South Bend will unlikely be any better than February 6, which is forced to a dome. I would LOVE to see Clemson play up north outdoors then though.
-I can’t stop laughing thinking about playing in this converted dome at ETSU. Almost rooting for it now.
Some silliness to it but if things can’t get started until January and schedules get shortened there won’t be any choice but to have something extremely different. Here’s to hoping it all somehow settles and things start with some sense of normalcy come Labor Day weekend.
